by Adam Pawlus and Mike Sullenger
Two down, one more to go. As Attack of the Clones climbed to the top heap of last year's blockbusters, Hasbro proved that they can still recapture a bit of the old Kenner zeitgeist. Their Star Wars line dominated its respective categories, as kids came back in "full force", prompting Hasbro to ramp up production, especially with their ultra-hot role-play lightsabers. The venerable action figure line featured better sculpts with some help from the Real Scan process and movie authentic accessories and action features enhanced play value. Add that to cross-playability with other action figure toys such as vehicles and playsets, and you not only have a line that looks great, but fun to boot.
New lines of collectibles were introduced in 2002. Master Replicas successfully launched their prop replica offering, filling a longstanding void left by Icons, and Gentle Giant studios introduced their spectacular collection of mini-busts. Playskool, Hasbro's pre-school division, produced cute renditions of Star Wars with their All In One Adventure sets that flew off the shelves as soon as they were stocked.
All in all, 2002 was a banner year for Star Wars, and it doesn't look like The Force will be slowing down anytime soon. With rumors of an animated series and Hasbro's recent contract extension for another 15 years, the old mantra of "Star Wars Is Forever" could most very well be.
With such a standout year, Adam Pawlus and I took on the arduous task of picking and choosing the best that was offered. Given the stellar line up, it was hard choosing just one, and to keep it simple, we broke things down to the most obvious categories (and the ones we felt mattered) and chose a winner, as well as a runner up where we felt it was appropriate. The result is what we feel best represents the year 2002, and with a bit of experiece with these things as well as a small dose of fanboy yearnings, let's hope we hit the mark.
So without further delay, we proudly present Galactic Hunter's Best Of 2002!
-Michael Sullenger
Editor In Chief
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